


Player's Tale

by JamyCatalyst (OutcastPack)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Multi, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-24 11:39:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6152468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OutcastPack/pseuds/JamyCatalyst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Start new game? Player select.....player selected. Accept challenge? Challenge accepted! Player's challenge: Make it through the game Undertale alive without killing anyone. Player's personal mission: Save EVERYONE! .......Oh? Well....that's not going to happen, you'll be stuck here forever now! JUST! LIKE! US! Hahahahaha!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> These fan created characters belong to these people:  
> Gaster!Sans- http://borurou.tumblr.com/  
> Error!Sans and Aftertale!Sans- http://loverofpiggies.tumblr.com/  
> Ink!Sans- http://comyet.tumblr.com/  
> Reaper!Sans- http://renrink.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> Wild is mine and the design of her is based off of July Knight, an original story I'm writing with my friends, which you can also read on AO3. This is also loosely based off of my Undertale playthrough which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsZrSxZZP1p20H5fiIXpIZ-beC-mBUI0R
> 
> (The prologue may be short, but that's just to get the ball rolling, full chapters will be long.)

** **

**Prologue:**

You’re in a familiar place. The pillars stand tall, shadows lying coldly below them. Somehow the beautiful crystal windows carry light inside. Underneath your feet is the checkered floor done in gold and orange colors, matching the rest of the wide open hall that stretches out before you. A breeze flutters in, it’s biting and makes you shiver but it’s not a cold or hot wind. You find yourself just taking in the place around you. You know it so well, yet it feels like, after everything... you really know nothing about it. You know **he’s** here though, and that’s all that really matters.

“hey.”

You jump, feeling high strung, stressed out, and on edge. Biting your lip, you try to hide your nerves from **him** , but he’s far too observant. He narrows his eye sockets at you, and you can’t look him pupil to pupil.

“feeling like you’re being _judged_ , kiddo?”

Gently you sigh and shake your head. You’re so scared; everything is coming to an end one way or another. You can feel it in your **_BONES_**. You know he knows too, he’s bound to have known far longer than you have. He’s had to live through this hell several times. And yet, here you are falling apart after only two and a few respawns.

“Sans.” Your voice is grave, coming from deep within you. You’re desperate, if you can hear it, then so can he. Something about it makes concern flash across the usually stoic skeleton’s face. Does he know what you’re about to ask? _Probably._

“yeah, kiddo? got something on your mind?” He’s smiling, as always. And as almost always, it doesn’t reach his pupils. He’s worried. Got that concerned older brother tone in his voice that he’s started using on you, just like he does with Papyrus sometimes. But you’re more reckless than Papyrus, so he’s had to use it with you more in one day than he does with Papyrus in a month.

“Do you….” You clench your teeth for a moment. Your plan is insane. Best case scenario; you end up dead, worst case literally **_EVERYONE_** ends up dead. But…..you’ve been backed into a corner. You feel yourself smiling sadly. Damn if these guys hadn’t gotten under your skin. They’d become your new family and you loved them. You would do anything for them. The very least you could do is set them free, even at such a high cost. Suddenly you feel tears forming in your eyes; you try to keep them at bay.

“Do you trust me, Sans?” Finally looking at him face to face, you hold out your hand, just like your very first meeting but reversed.

Sans, he has that deeply worried look on his face again. You feel guilty for making him worry so much. But he worried you too. You…worried each other, it’s what family does.

He chuckles deeply, trying to pretend he wasn’t just as scared as you are about the future. And like the answer to your question, it was as plain as day.

“of course-”

**SAVE FILE CORRUPTED**

**ERROR**

**ERROR**

**DATA NOT FOUND**

**START NEW GAME?**


	2. PLAYER SELECT

**Chapter 1: “PLAYER SELECT”**

** **

 

_~Somewhere over the rainbow way up high_

_There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby_

_Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue_

_And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true~_

 

Shooting up from my bed I can hear my alarm clock singing. Taking deep breaths I try to calm myself, my heart beating rapidly. A cold and uncomfortable sweat clings to my body; a chill runs up my spine and makes me shiver. Another night; another vivid dream about Undertale, this was getting ridiculous. I hadn’t even played the game in weeks, not since I finished my first play-through.

Getting up slowly, I drag the covers off of me and tell my kindle alarm clock to dismiss. I ache all over, but I ignore the pain as I usually do. Without my alarm going off, my home is eerily silent. This makes me wonder what time it was and if my brother was still home. I look up to find its afternoon and I groan. ‘ _Another day I slept through, just great.’_

I sigh and walk across the hall to the bathroom. Quickly I go through the usual routine: brush teeth, shower, dress in clean clothes, turn on my office computer, and grab _‘breakfast’_.  With a poptart in my mouth I sit at my desk and just stare at my computer. Was I a 22 year old writer and professional voice actor…..or a zombie? Looking at my computer screen’s reflection I couldn’t tell.

In my apartment’s sound proof office I tried to get some work done. Lines, pages of my book, either one would do. But…..something kept bugging me. Every time I tried to concentrate it would come straight back to my mind; **Undertale.**

A game created by a guy named Toby Fox. A game made up of 8-bit animations, choices, and amazing characters; a game with a strange combat system, a game with an amazing story and an eerie ability to make the **PLAYER** feel like a puppeteer; or like a puppet. But….it was just a game! Right? Undertale took the world by storm after its release. Anyone whose played it understands why. I played it and did a neutral run before I knew about Genocide or Pacifist runs. I’ve watched other people do genocide and I’ve heard what happens in pacifist but...after beating it the first time I haven’t had the courage to pick it up again.

It’s been weeks, and the dreams only started about a week ago. Something about it was bugging me. Theories zipped around in my head as well as hopes and feelings. Believing in the multi-verse theory and alternate realties as I do...well, something keeps haunting me.

After another hour I bang my head against my desk. One more day of putting off work couldn’t hurt, right? The people who hired me to do these lines would understand. I just...had to get this game out of my head. The best way to do that, start my pacifist run!

Pulling up my Steam application on my computer, I started Undertale from within my game library. Looking at the menu and seeing Toriel, Papyrus, and….Sans; it made me think about the consequences of the **RESET**. Sans….I knew Sans would remember. He would be pulled from whatever he was doing just to live those days Frisk was in the Underground all over again. Hovering my cursor over the Reset button, I felt guilty about wanting to click it but….

“This time I’ll give them the happy ending they deserve, I won’t hurt _ANYONE_.” For some reason I say that out loud, and I feel **DETERMINATION** to do such. It may have been corny to some, but it was important to me.

Just as I’m about to click the button though, something happens. The menu disappears. Inside the application window now is….darkness. And it only kept getting darker, until…

**_“Won’t kill ANYONE huh, Player? Well, do you think you could keep that promise even if it was YOU in the Underground?”_ **

Text appears in that darkness, bright and strange looking, deformed almost. If the game itself didn’t pull stuff like this all the time I’d be worried but…. Something about this was different. Wrong. It made my heart speed up, my hands shake. ‘ _Did the game hear me?’_

 _‘If that was the case, shouldn’t I answer it?’_ My instincts were telling me that that was a very bad idea. Unfortunately, I was a curious person, always seeking answers even when I didn’t need them. I’d never been good at self-preservation, at least not when it came to things that I cared about that is. Otherwise I’d like to believe I had sharp survival instincts.

“Of course!” The answer easily and earnestly passed my lips.

**_“Really now? So do you ACCEPT this CHALLENGE?”_ **

Even if this was some prank, which I highly doubted, or hell even some crazy _glitch_ …I wanted to accept the challenge. Something inside of me resonated with the idea of helping all of them myself, doing something Frisk couldn’t do. Making the ultimate sacrifice to save **EVERYONE** , that would be my goal. Surely, with my knowledge I could do it, right?

My only thought against the idea was that if my brother and my friends found out they’d kill me. Of course, most of them wouldn’t expect any less from me. Wouldn’t be the first time my moral compass got me stuck in a seriously sticky situation.

Sighing, I opened my mouth. “Yes.” It was so easy to say, compared to the guilt that would have come with saying no. But even so, fear and apprehension gripped me. _‘It’s a good thing I’m not afraid to die.’_

When I heard the bitter laughter I thought it was my own, but then that laughter turned demonic and hysterical. The longer it went on the more maniacal and distorted it began to sound. I was terrified to look up at my computer, I couldn’t even breathe, and when I looked up my heart stopped completely.

Leaping back, out of my chair, I knocked it over and quickly backed away as quickly as I could. When my back hit the wall I could feel a panic attack beginning to rise up inside me. I guess I wasn’t really prepared to truly think this was real. But seeing… _that_... It felt like waking up to a nightmare.

A hand, a god awful oozing slimy hand and arm stretched its way out of my computer. My thoughts went to Gaster but it wasn’t skeletal, or Flowey but it wasn’t vines. _‘What the hell is this thing?’_ It was a literal black slimy appendage coming out of my computer screen, stretching longer and longer. The thing was feeling around, trying to find something. I gulped when I realized it was looking for _ME_.

 _‘I have to get out…OUT! OUT!’_ The longer I looked at the thing the more the panic attack began to rise. I was far more accustomed to anxiety attacks, so my normal methods of controlling it wasn’t working. My thoughts were spiraling and I was beginning to lose myself. It almost felt like I was hypnotized, paralyzed, terror filling me full. **_‘OUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUT!’_**

Suddenly the hand opens, palm out, wide. Then, as if it was completely normal, an eyeball appeared from within the ooze. It lifted itself up to the top of the palm and blinked. Looking around, it tried to spot its prey. Every muscle in my body tensed, my brain shouting to my legs to run, but no matter how hard I tried to get a grip I only sunk deeper into my fear. The eye suddenly lands on me and for a moment I can see the pupil is almost rainbow colored, this means something to me but I can’t grasp any thoughts at the moment.

Before I can blink the hand launches towards me, and then it grabs something. Not my body…but my mind? No, it was more than that. It felt odd, almost like it was holding my emotions in a choke hold. But it was more than just my emotions, it was my hopes, my dreams, my memories, everything I am. The hand grasped it tightly, so tightly it hurt, and then…it pulled.

Whatever it tried to pull, well it got more than it was expecting. It hadn’t grabbed my body, but somehow, with everything I am, I kept an iron grip on what it was trying to take from me; so instead of just getting that, it got all of me. I only registered a second of being yanked before everything was black and my grasp on reality was gone.

* * *

 

 

_~Someday I'll wish upon a star_

_And wake up where the clouds are far_

_Behind me_

_Where troubles melt like lemon drops_

_Away above the chimney tops_

_That's where you'll find me~_

 

_‘This song. I know this song?’_

I felt like I was floating, barely conscious, like I was just dreaming. My thoughts were so thick I could barely think. The more I struggled, trying to wake up, the thicker the fog inside my head became. It was like something was keeping me down; trying to drown me. Once the thought of drowning hit me I struggled even harder than before. So many nightmares where things tried to end me, I was well versed in the ways of forcing myself awake.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled myself awake, thrashing and breathing erratically. I felt my teeth grind and my body ache, but something was wrong. Slowly I opened my eyes, frightened of what was keeping me aloft. When my eyes saw what was around me I gasped.

01010101 01101110 01100100 01100101 01110010 01110100 01100001 01101100 01100101 00100000 01100011 01101111 01100100 01100101 00100000 01110010 01100101 01110111 01110010 01101001 01110100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01101110 01100101 01110111 00100000 01110000 01101100 01100001 01111001 01100101 01110010

Binary, one’s and zero’s, computer coding. It was everywhere! Suspended and yet moving, changing, rewriting. It was like seeing the Matrix code on the computer but in 3-D all around you. _‘Where the hell am I?’_

As I was just looking around wildly, scared and so confused, I saw more binary begin to zip past me. But this time it was **glitching** out. The code was so distorted it was hard to look at. Not only that but part of that picked me up and began to carry me upwards. It was almost like I had landed on shifting ground, and I grasped it tightly. Before I knew it there was a light up ahead, I was about to be shoved through, when the line of coding I was on top of disappeared. Now I was falling, before I had been caught in some beam keeping me up apparently.

My heart pounding, not sure if I should be scared if I’m going to fall to my death or have some binary kill me, I was almost panicking too much to notice the _gray door_ that appeared in front of me. I was already yelling at the top of my lungs, it sounding almost silent in this place. But now I closed my eyes, I was sure hitting that door would destroy me.

Instead it slowly opens and I land, fumbling and toppling over, rather gently compared to how I thought I would. I might have a few bruises from it sure, but nothing more than that. Or, at least, I would have had bruises if my body wasn’t transparent and only kinda there. I nearly scream again, looking at my hand and body as I jump up. I was here but only very thinly.

“What the hell is happening?!” I shout, twirling around, trying to fix what was clearly messed up with my body. But none of that was working. And even though I felt panicked, I didn’t feel that heavy and suffocating feeling of fear I usually do. Instead it’s light, barely there, I felt…numb almost. This was familiar, like when I was dosed up on painkillers in the hospital, it almost felt like I was too tired to feel.

I found myself collapsing to my knees and then sitting down. It should have hurt to land on my knees so hard but I didn’t feel anything. Now, instead of panicking I felt myself calming down, like all the hot air getting taken out of a balloon. I just took a deep breath from lungs that were barely there.

For a while I just sat there, having not even looked at my surroundings or…or at the new thing where my heart should be. Now with a clear head I notice the sudden colors that stood out against my gray translucent body. My eyes look into my chest to see something like…like a **WILD FIRE** , and it was so full of color, almost like a rainbow. At the base of the beautiful dancing fire and the colored smoke surrounding it was a colorful dimly glowing heart shape. On it were cracks, one tiny little white crack in the middle and other medium sized black cracks. But the cracks didn’t take away from how beautiful it was, if anything it made it seem like it was glowing even more brightly, strongly. Like it wouldn’t let the cracks take away from what it was. 

I was in awe of the thing inside me for a while but soon enough I was brought back by the sound of humming. It was a beautiful voice and I stood, wanting to follow the sound. Standing up I noticed I was somewhere very familiar. _‘Judgement Hall?’_ I think, walking through the long hallway. _‘How?’_ I kept trying to think how I could be here, my thoughts a bit muddled. Walking even farther down gray hallways I find the colorful Throne Room and the source of the humming. _‘Toriel?’_

In front of me was Queen Toriel, taking care of the flowers and humming. It was a beautiful sight and with it the things I forgot about flooded back into my mind. Almost too much, I remembered the questions that text asked me from my computer, the hand that dragged me in, the binary codes, and the gray door. It’s almost like, the moment I landed on the other side of that door; my memories had become temporarily repressed just like my emotions had.

But… but I was in Undertale! Had I even been in the code of the game? _‘Jesus Christ!’_ And the Gray Door; did…did Gaster save me?

Toriel turned then and I flinched, thinking she would see me like this. Only half existing. But she acted like I wasn’t even here, going so far as to leave the room without even giving me a second glance. Was I dead? _‘This is so damn confusing!’_ None of it made sense to me. I wanted to run after Toriel, force her to acknowledge me, to look at me! And as I was about to run after her something shining made me pause and turn.

There were plaques on the wall that had definitely not been there in the game. Curious, I walked over to read them. There was a big one above the seven others, shining a silver color, polished and pristine. It read: **A memorial to the seven children who died here in vain.**

Looking at the smaller plaques I read the names of the children. “Anna, Bryden, Brittany, Andy, Ellie, and Ethan. Uh… and the last ones. Oh.” The last name was what I had named my fallen human. That meant….this was _MY_ Undertale. This was the Undertale world connected to _MY_ neutral run. It made sense now, since Toriel was here instead of Asgore but that meant….Asgore was dead.

“How…What’s going on? How is this possible?” I asked no one…knowing no one would come. I was in a reality that was a game in mine and I only had a barely there body that no one could see. Would I have to permanently haunt this world? Living in my guilt that I couldn’t save Asgore or take down the Barrier forever?

Suddenly something touched my arm, and I heard a distorted noise. Swiftly I turned, feeling my numbed fear return. But instead of what I thought would be there…it was Gaster instead. I lightly gasped, surprised to see the ex-royal scientist. Not only could he see me but he could touch me too!

“How?! I-” I was about to throw a thousand questions at him. But he held up his hand to silence me, and began making the distorted noises again. “I…I can’t understand you. I’m sorry!” Even numbed I could feel panic rise inside me again.

But Gaster nodded, most likely knowing I wouldn’t understand him. When his hand shot out, it reminded me of the black goo hand from earlier and I jumped back. Gaster didn’t even flinch. He waited for me to catch my breath, and then pointed towards my chest. I could only guess he wanted to touch the glowing thing inside me.

I carefully walked back towards Gaster and stood still. _‘I hope I don’t regret this.’_ And the moment his skeletal hand touched the thing inside me I felt a shift. That’s the only way I can explain it. Just a sudden shift, and then a heard a deep smooth voice that sounded intelligent and humble.

_“Such a fascinating soul you have, child.”_

“Soul?” I question what Gaster says and look back down at the glowing thing inside me. It was so bright yet so dim, scarred, but still so full of life and color. It was stunning, there’s no way it could be my soul. It had to have been changed, just like my body.

 _“Yes. Well I imagine you have plenty of questions. But we don’t have much time before it finds you again.”_ Gaster states clearly, and with shadow like movement begins to stride out of the throne room. I follow right behind him. _“If you must ask, ask it swiftly.”_

Following him I think quickly, trying to ask what I find most important first. I had to take advantage of every moment I had… _apparently_.

“Okay, first off; what is looking for me? Secondly; how come my body is the way it is?” I ask, curious and confused, as I began to walk beside him.

 _“There is a creature trying to take your soul, just as it tried to take the souls of the children before As-… before a flower abomination did. Even with my understanding of the timelines and the multiple universes I am having a hard time grasping where you were pulled from, human. All that I can gather is you were pulled in insufficiently, your body was not prepared for the journey; it seems only a small percent of it arrived here with your soul.”_ He explains, making sure to word things delicately.

Now back in the Judgement Hall, if I could grind my teeth I would. _‘This, this was crazy! Was I seriously written into the coding of the game, but since Gaster pulled me out before it was finished, my body didn’t make it all the way through?! How was I not dead?!’_

Even numbed I could feel so many emotions conflicting inside me. Sure, I understood in a way when I accepted the challenge that I might end up inside Undertale. But, it didn’t really seem real until I saw that hand. And then that thing tried to steal my soul and everything happened so fast afterward. This isn’t at all I how I thought this would go. How was I supposed to deal with all of this?

I hadn’t even realized I had stopped walking, standing in the shadow of a pillar in the Judgement Hall. Everything felt, so strange. I just wanted at least more than a moment to breathe, to rest. Gaster had gone silent, most likely sensing that I was thinking, processing everything. And when I looked up to see light coming in through the crystal windows I felt an extreme sense of déjà vu. _‘Where’s that light coming from anyway?’_

This place was so beautiful, seeing it in person instead of 8-bit animations. It was so sweeping and large, with such a high ceiling. The colors felt so bright and warm, almost welcoming. But this place, for some, was an end. The last stop in a long journey; and yet, was it the beginning of mine? Reaching out I touched a pillar, dragging my almost there fingers along it.

_“Do you trust me, Sans?”_

Swiftly I pull my fingers back, feeling as if something just entered my mind by force. _‘What was that?’_

 _“Child.”_ I can hear Gaster as he gets closer, concern suddenly entering his voice. Hearing it made me feel weird. But I ignored it.

_‘What is going on?’_

_“Look out!”_

“What?!”

I don’t have much time to process the words Gaster yells before I feel something grab at me. That shifting feeling happens again. If my eyes were fully formed I imagine I’d feel them go wide. Looking down I saw something that nearly shattered me.

Goo, that oozing appendage was back, and it was holding my soul. It went right through my body, trying to steal what it wanted from me. The eye from earlier was on top of the hand’s knuckles now, glaring at me as it gripped my soul firmly again.

My body, gray and thin, was trembling. _‘Was this how I was going to die? After everything?’_ I look up to Gaster, and I know he’s talking but I can’t hear him. Everything seems to be fading. The hand just keeps pulling and I’m getting further and further away as it does. _‘After everything I’ve went through? Not just today but the last few years too. This was the end?’_ Bit by bit I was truly fading away.

* * *

_~Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly_

_Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh, why can't I?_

_If happy little bluebirds fly_

_Beyond the rainbow why, oh, why can't I?~_

 

 _‘That song? Why is it so important?’_ There was barely any of me left now. And it almost felt like years since the hand grabbed my soul. Everything was happening so slowly compared to the fast paced car chase that was earlier. _‘When will it be over?’_

Suddenly I felt my life flash before my eyes. _‘Does this really mean it’s the end?’_

 Memories come flooding into my head like rushing water: My younger years where I was all alone; my mother distant, my father gone. That passed. Then it was me and my brother versus the world! Getting into video games and trouble. That passed too. He went to high school, got friends, and left me behind. Middle school was the worst, I was all alone again. Apathy invaded my mind and depression drowned me. But I fought it. And the years of self-loathing passed. I got into high school and found friends. It was better years, me and my brother by each other’s side again. Graduation was the saddest night I’d had in years. Shortly thereafter; attacked again by two years’ worth of crippling sickness and disorders. I fought hard to keep going, and found a stronger part of myself. The years of going back and forth to the hospital passed. I found work as a voice actor and writer. Me and my brother found a great place to call our own. And with those years came even better friends. Their faces crossed into my mind and stuck there.

 _‘What would they say about me dying like this?’_ I feel a bitter laugh bubble up and through my mouth. I could barely feel the tears that streamed down my face but they were there. _‘What would they say?’_ I felt something different then. Something…strong? _‘I know what they’d say.’_ For the first time I really felt my soul, and the heat that came with those wild fires inside me. _‘They’d tell me to keep fighting!’_

And that’s what I started doing. I struggled, trying to get my soul out of the hand’s grip. _‘This is my soul! My life! You have no idea what I’ve been through! How hard I’ve fought! I’m not giving up now! I’m not dying like this!’_ Putting my feet heavily on the ground I pulled and kept my own tight grip on my soul. I was **determined** to survive!

I heard a monstrous screech come from the thing holding me. It sounded almost like it had been burned. And it launched itself away from my soul. When I looked down to see what was going on I saw the true raging force of the wild fires and smoke within me. It was like a towering beacon of light, like a diamond reflecting a rainbow of fiery colors. It almost consumed my entire ghostly body, and it felt so right, so warm, so strong!

Turning on my heel swiftly I saw the hand a few feet away, and colorful smoke rose from a burn on its oozy skin like surface. The eyeball rose from the burn, glared at me so fiercely it made me flinch, and then… _God_ …Then the eyeball opened like a mouth and screeched a bloodcurdling distorted demonic scream.

By reflex I put my hands to my ears, but that didn’t help at all. _‘Jesus Christ, what is that thing?!’_ I thought, and then watched as more goo appeared from the walls, gathering to the arm and hand, making it grow bigger and bigger.

I gasp and then feel Gaster’s hands forcibly turn me. The shadow-skeleton seemed to not be able to look away from the black goo creature before us. But he didn’t let the mass of the arm deter him. He snapped his fingers, taking his right hand off my shoulder to do so, and I watched as another gray door appeared.

 _“You must go, child! Although I must apologize beforehand, I do not know where that door will lead. But surely anywhere else in the multi-verse and the void would be safer than here.”_ He explains quickly, and then with summoned purple glowing hands he pushes me through the gray door that more of them open. I only have a second to see the black goo creature attack Gaster before the door shuts.

“GASTER!”

I shout his name, but it’s too late, the door was not only closed but it was gone. Instead there’s only a solid white wall in front of me. No…wait. _‘That’s not a wall.’_ I think, looking around, everything was white. I wasn’t anywhere, I was nowhere. A solid white space of none existence: The void! I was in the void!

“You called, kiddo?”

 A sudden and familiar voice made me jump. I turn around and see…What? _‘Is that Gaster!Sans?’_ I ask myself, confused by finding a fan made character inside the Undertale void space _. ‘Well, Gaster did say he wasn’t sure where in the multi-verse I would end up. Guess I’m lucky, at least I didn’t end up in the void alone.’_

Before me, standing surrounded by white void space, was a tall skeleton wearing a black jacket with a white puffy hood and rolled up sleeves. The guy wasn’t even wearing a shirt, and his blue jeans looked a little loose around his…hip bones? Even though he was wearing a belt. His face was a clear mixture of Sans and Gaster. The cracks in his skull were Gaster and the roundness was Sans. His left eye was glowing yellow and I wondered then if it was always like that or if he saw me as a possible threat.

_**Gaster!Sans- Created and drawn by:[borurou](http://borurou.tumblr.com/) ** _

I suppose seeing someone ghostly with such a weird soul get shoved through a door into your version of the void would be kind of…strange? _‘Jeez, strange doesn’t even begin to cover it.’_

“You gonna keep staring kid, or tell me what the hell you’re doing here?”

Hearing Gaster-Sans speak again I can hear the mixture of Sans and Gaster’s voices. The combination was a nice sound, even angry and annoyed he sounded smooth and cool. _‘But seriously, this guy is not nerdy science dad plus short stubby pun fest! What the hell? If I live through this and get back home I’m gonna have some serious questions for his creator! I’m…..also not going to think about the fact I find him attractive.’_ I almost punch myself, heck I wanted to bite my cheek, but you know, still in an only half there body. _‘YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HOT; YOU’RE A SKELETON FOR CHRIST’S SAKE!’_

With that thought out of my system I cautiously walk up to Gaster-Sans. He watches me very closely. “Hi! Um…I…can explain?” I shyly say, finally making words come out of my mouth. Of course I avoid all eye contact with the skeleton, who looms over me by a few inches.

“How’s about you introduce yourself first kid, gotta name or did you just get pooped into the void by some shit storm?”

I can’t help but laugh, even if he’s wearing a serious expression that was funny and sort of true. But a name? I couldn’t tell him my real name, could I? I had used that for my fallen human character. He would either think I’m them, if he knew about them, or later on someone would. Plus, the less connections I give to who I am in my reality the better. That thing might try to go after my friends or brother, it might already be able to but I’d rather not risk it.

I’m trying to think of a name when my eyes drift to my soul, the only thing anyone can clearly see on me right now. _‘What did I say it looked like? Wild fire?’_ I thought about it, those two words tumbling around in my head. But only one of them was a suitable name, even if only temporarily.

“Uh…you can call me…” I pause finally looking back up at Gaster-Sans. “Wild.”

The guy smirks, a deep chuckle rumbling out from his chest. “Alright… _Wild child_. It’s time for that explanation now.”

I nod silently and as I’m about to open my mouth I hear a strange sound.

**_-Shlink-_ **

**_“YeAh KiD, TeLl Us HoW A DiRtY GlItCh LiKe YoU GoT WrItTeN InTo ThE SyStEm!”_ **

 

**_ _ **

**_Error!Sans- Drawn by:[wolvesstrife](http://wolvesstrife.tumblr.com/) and created by [loverofpiggies](http://loverofpiggies.tumblr.com/)_ **


	3. Wild Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (AKA that chapter full of fandom references!)

**Chapter 2: “WILD SOUL”**

** **

**_“YeAh KiD, TeLl Us HoW A DiRtY GlItCh LiKe YoU GoT WrItTeN InTo ThE SyStEm!”_ **

The glitchy and distorted voice echoed throughout the void. Its tone promising violence, laced with venom and disgust. Another familiar voice, but oh so different from its origins; that voice brought the fear that had only been gone for a moment right back into place.

 _‘Why? Why did he have to show up?!’_ I thought angrily, frustrated that I seriously could not catch a break. This day was just too damn much!

Now before Gaster-Sans and I was… ** _Error!Sans_**. Another fan created character from the Undertale fandom. He was a Sans capable of traveling from universe to universe within the Undertale Multi-verses. Ironically, he was a created AU that hated all other AU’s. He went around destroying other universes, using his blue strings to grab and sometimes steal other people’s souls.  He was one violent and angry guy, and pretty damn powerful too. Covered in error signs and always glitching out, his bones were black and his eyes a combination of blue, orange, and red. His jacket was like normal Sans’ except it was more black than blue. His hands were made up of the same color combo as his eyes, and it almost looked like he had blue tear stains underneath his eye sockets.

Out of all the AU’s Error could be terrorizing right now, why did it have to be the one I was in? I mean seriously, what are the odds! Gaster might have been wrong about this place being safer. At this rate no place was safe right now.

“Okay, this shit is gettin’ old fast.” Gaster-Sans said coolly but with a frustrated under tone. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket; obviously with the intention of getting one out and lighting it. But as he pulls a single cigarette from the package its cut in half by one of Error’s blue strings; this makes Gaster-Sans grit his teeth together and glare at the glitchy creature. “You wanna have a bad time, punk?” Gaster-Sans’ yellow left eye glints as it glows.

 ** _“HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!”_** Error laughs with his dark glitchy voice. His blue strings seem to be keeping him elevated a few feet ahead of us. His left eye glows blue with the orange surrounding it, the universe jumping monster seemed to be sizing Gaster-Sans up. **_“ThAt’S My LiNe YoU FlItHy PiEcE oF Au TrAsH!”_**

Were these two about to fight? _‘No…no, no,no,no! I have to stop this before it escalates even a bit further!’_ Sure, watching them fight would be beyond epic, and yeah there wasn’t anything around that would get damaged. But I was still here! Maybe only half here, but if even one of them misfired just a bit it would destroy my soul! I had no way to protect myself!

That’s when I did the dumbest thing possible. I got between two pissed off and powerful Sans and hoped they wouldn’t kill me. “Wait! At least give me a chance to explain! Please don’t fight!”

The two of them took one look at me…and ignored me entirely. In fact Gaster-Sans walked up to me and lightly pushed me aside. Looking at me with restraint, he apparently no longer saw me as a threat, as he was trying not to scare me. I think. _‘It’s seriously hard to read him, why the hell is he so stone faced?’_

“As much as I’m interested in hearing how the hell you got here kiddo, this guy’s just beggin’ for a beat down. So, just stay back, alright?” Gaster-Sans says as he pushes me aside, he apparently can see the concerned look on my face as he takes the time to ruffle my hair and give me a thumbs up. “Root for me, k kid!” He smirks and then turns back to Error, ready for that beat down.

I’m stunned into silence by his…affectionate gesture? _‘The hell, make up your mind, are you a stone faced rebel or not?!’_ The confusion and frustration temporarily paralyze me. But Error’s voice brings me back.

 ** _“HeH, cUtE gEsTuRe! NoT LiKe iTs GoInG To MaTtEr WhEn I WiPe YoU BoTh FrOm ExIsTeNcE!”_** Error’s voice remains dark, only getting more sinister as he speaks. He clearly didn’t come here for answers, why I thought he might is beyond me.

The look Gaster-Sans had on his face before completely changes, the light hearted look he gave me shifts into something hungry for action and violence. He gives Error a seriously cold glare, and then his eye flashes again, before I know it, his left hand is glowing and three Gaster Blasters appear from thin air.

Heavy magic made the air crackle, I could feel it, even with no skin, and the tension was palpable. Two Sans glared at each other, animalistic rage curdling inside of them both. It was terrifying; I could see and feel it. It was just too much. What was even worse, my soul was reacting to the magic; it was such a strange feeling, almost like it was vibrating and wildly churning inside me.

_‘This is so not good!’_

**-Shlink-**

Looking up quickly I watched as Error’s strings tied up each Gaster Blaster with ease. But with each one that got tied up another appeared, shooting out blasts of powerful yellow energy at the glitchy monster. Not only that but Error had to keep dodging bones being hurtled at him, clearly Gaster-Sans was mainly concentrating on his Gaster Blaster attacks though.

And every time Error got the chance he launched a flurry of string attacks at Gaster-Sans, but Gaster-Sans was incredibly quick, dodging each attack. When one string would get far too close Gaster-Sans would teleport then throw another Gaster Blaster at Error.

“Gotta say; these silly strings of yours sure are sharp.” Gaster-Sans huffed, glaring at the mark one of the lucky strings had made on one of the bones on his arm. After saying that his grin grew darker and suddenly several parts of the void cracked, and ten Gaster Blasters appeared, but this time instead of their eyes glowing yellow they were glowing purple. 

 _‘Like Gaster’s magic?’_ I wondered, trying to stay as far away from the battle as I could. I was still wracking my brain trying to figure out a way to stop it. But the sight of such power had me a bit in awe.

 ** _“AnD YoUr StUpId BoNeY GuArD DoGs ArE AnNoYiNgLy PeRsIsTaNt!”_** Error chuckles; not even phased by being surrounded by the Gaster Blasters. If anything his smirk grows, delighted by the fight; maybe happy for even the slightest challenge.

Before I can even blink a massive amount of energy is shot out of every Gaster Blaster surrounding him, it turns into a blinding beacon of light. If I had fully formed eyeballs I’m sure that would have hurt my eyes. All the shots aimed at Error go on for at least a minute, and then it stops and the Gaster Blasters disappear. Where Error should have been there was nothing, and this worried me.

 _“It appears I’ve won this encounter.”_ Gaster-Sans says, his voice sounding different. His voice only sounds like Gaster now, instead of a mixture like it did before. And when he looks back at me his left eye is purple.

The smile he has only lasts a moment.

**-Shlink-**

**_“I DoN’T tHiNk So!”_ **

There was that same feeling from before, when the gooey arm held my soul. I could feel it again, but this time it was even more intense. Instead of the fading, I could feel sharpness, almost like stabbing. It hurt so much I couldn’t keep in my groan of pain. Gritting my teeth as much as I could, I saw the purple color flash from Gaster-Sans’ eye and turn right back into a roaring yellow flame.

Afraid to look down, I take a deep breath and do it anyway. Just as I thought, Error was standing behind me, his blue strings wrapped tightly and thoroughly around my fiery soul.

 ** _“NiCe SoUl YoU GoT HeRe KiD! ReMiNdS Me oF PaInT BrEaTh!”_** He chuckles darkly again, his grin still so wicked. I can’t stop looking at him now, the two of us staring at each other, eye to eye. Slowly, he reaches out, and before I can do anything to stop him, he grabs my soul and holds it in his hand. **_“It’D Be A sHaMe If AnYtHiNg HaPpEnEd To It!”_**

I can’t stop the terror filled whimper that leaves my lips.

“You piece of shit! Leave her soul alone! You and me ain’t done yet punk!” Gaster-Sans shouts; his voice a mixture again. Quickly he throws out another Gaster Blaster, and I can see it appear behind Error, ready to attack.

But before it can Error squeezes my soul, and a scream rips from me, completely out of my control.

 ** _“Eh,Eh,Eh!”_** Error uses his other hand to make that _‘tsking’_ move with his finger. **_“ThOsE GuArD DoGs MoVe OnE MoRe InCh AnD ThIs KiD WiLl Be ThE OnE HaViNg A BaD TiMe!”_**

I can almost hear Gaster-Sans grind his teeth and clench his skeletal hands. With everything I am I want to look at Gaster-Sans, I want to cheer him on. But I can’t look away from my soul being held in Error’s hand. Completely helpless, I can’t move at all, and I feel tears of frustration come to my barely there eyes again. Rage and bitterness bubble up inside me, I was so sick of being powerless. How many more times in one day would I have to watch something get so close to taking my life? I just wanted it to stop!

_“Don’t give up! You can do it!”_

I heard that familiar voice echo in my head again. It was like Sans’ voice but a tad bit higher pitched and…excited sounding? _‘Was….was that the same voice that was singing to me earlier?’_ I wondered, trying to remember. But my concentration was broken when Error shifted his grip on my soul, tightening it again.

 ** _“Am I BoRiNg YoU KidDo?”_** Error asked sarcastically, leaning over me now, trying to get close enough to be even more intimidating. **_“I BeT YoU’d Be A GoOd LiTtle PupPeT, Uh KiD?”_** He asked sinisterly, making me tremble and shake even more than I was before.

What would be even worse than Error killing me? Him keeping me locked in his void, having me strung up like a puppet for all eternity! If I wasn’t scared before I was now! But that fear quickly turned into something hot and boiling. I imagined him keeping me like some kind of pet. And the idea just sent me spiraling into some of the deepest-seated rage I had inside me. I was the type of person that usually didn’t get mad, but when something triggered me, I wasn’t mad I was infuriated!

That same hot feeling started inside me again, it felt strong, like a stoked fire that just kept rising higher and higher. Only getting hotter and hotter until the flames changed colors, and like my new name, those flames were becoming wild; spiraling out of control!

 ** _“WhAt? WhAt ArE YoU DoInG?!”_** Error sounded surprised for once, and when I really looked at my soul again, the flames were burning Error’s hand. The fire of my soul was only growing bigger and bigger. Error looked confused and surprised to match his tone. **_“HoW ArE YoU- AhHhHhH!”_**

I could hear Error’s strings snapping and then his hand was taken back, still on fire. The moment he wasn’t holding my soul anymore I put distance between us, running back to Gaster-Sans’ side. This skeleton had an expression of awe and concern on his face. He stared intently at my soul, watching as the fire almost consumed the whole of me, burning bright and beautifully.

“Uh…doesn’t that hurt kiddo?” He asked; honestly interested, pointing at the fire that was me. 

I shake my head. “Not really, it just feels warm and…nice actually.” I answer him sincerely, and then I just shrug.

“Well, guess I got even more questions for you now… _Wild child_.” Gaster-Sans says, looking me eye to eye again. I roll my eyes at the terrible nickname and Gaster-Sans chuckles.

 ** _“ItS RuDe To IgNoRe PeOpLe YoU KnOw?!”_** Error yells, almost sounding as if he was throwing a tantrum because we weren’t paying attention to him anymore. I turn to him quickly and see the burn my soul’s flames left on his skeletal hand. He looks seriously pissed now, and even more murderous than before. **_“FuCk ThIs ShIt! No MoRe PlaYiNg AroUnd! I’m GoInG To DeStRoY YoU AnD WhAtEvEr UniVeRSe YoU CaMe FrOm!”_**

Gaster-Sans growls and puts his hand on my shoulder, his yellow eye glowing again. I could tell he was tired, but he was still more than ready to pick up the battle from where it left off. But I knew if this went on much longer both me and Gaster-Sans would end up dead. It would be my fault too, and there was nothing I could do!

_“Don’t worry! You’re not alone! I have your back!”_

That voice again, in my head, who…where was it coming from?

 _“Stop this Error!”_ This time I heard the voice out loud, and in a beautiful rainbow of colors spilling from a crack in the void, another Sans appeared.

**_“PaInT BrEaTh?!”_ **

“Shit, seriously, another one? The hell’s going on here? Was there a memo about multi-verse Sans party I didn’t get?” Gaster-Sans asked; bitter sarcasm dripping from his voice.

On a tidal wave of paint Ink!Sans faced Error. Another AU Sans, but this time it was the opposite of Error. An AU created to protect other AUs. With a cheerful smile, excitement in his voice, he used his creativity to keep creators and their creations happy. He usually didn’t fight, this was the type of guy that much rather inspire others and paint. But most likely Ink knew Error wouldn’t back off unless he was forced too.

_**Created and drawn by-**_ [comyet](http://comyet.tumblr.com/)

Ink!Sans had a giant paintbrush over his shoulder, his _‘weapon’_ of choice. He had a belt across his chest covered in vials of different colored paint. With a sky blue jacket tied around his waist, and a brown scarf like parchment paper around his neck; his outfit was made up of that sky blue color, the brown, and yellows. His right eye was blue and his left eye, which glowed, was in a star shape, and at the moment a gold color.

I could see Error was visibly affected by Ink’s appearance. But I’m not sure in what way.

 _“Leave these AUs alone Error!”_ Ink pointed at me and Gaster-Sans, but never took his eyes off of Error.

 ** _“TcH.”_** Error huffed, crossing his arms and looking away from Ink. **_“YoU GoNnA FiGhT To PrOteCt ThEsE FiLtHy GliTcHeS, PaInT BreAtH?”_** He asks vehemently.

 _“Yes! You know I would fight to protect any creation! They’re not ‘filthy glitches’ Error, they’re a creator’s treasure! ”_ Ink says passionately, almost sounding as if he was pleading with Error. _“Just like you are!”_

Those last words seem to rattle Error. His eyes widen and he looks at Ink stunned. But quickly his expression changes to rage. **_“FiNe! FuCk, YoU CaN HaVe ThEm!”_** Error shouts and opens a rip out of the void. Ink seems to reach for him, almost like he wants to reassure him. Before he can though Error is gone, and Ink lets his arm fall back to his side.

* * *

 

“Psst.”

I look over at Gaster-Sans with a brow raised. _‘Did he just psst at me?’_ When I look over at him, he’s kneeled down to my height and right next to me. _‘Holy crap too close!’_ I flinch but the skeleton doesn’t seem to notice.

“Is it just me kiddo, or was that super awkward?” Gaster-Sans looks at me and raises his…bone-brows? Like he was trying to insinuate something.

“What are you, four?” I ask sarcastically. _‘Oh crap, I said that out loud!’_ I blanch, covering my mouth quickly, having meant to keep that snark inside my head.

Instead of getting upset like I was afraid of, Gaster-Sans laughs, genuinely laughs and falls over. I can’t help but chuckle at the sight of the previously stone faced monster now rolling on the ground in laughter.

 _“What are you guys laughing about?”_ A higher pitched voice suddenly asks cheerfully. When I turn to look; it’s Ink, a big warm smile on his face, his star eye glowing purple now. _“Oh!”_ Something else suddenly captures his attention. In a flash he’s inches away from me, looking at my soul with pure elation and excitement. _“Your soul’s so pretty! It looks almost just like my paint! Oh! Oh! I want to-”_

**-Blarg-**

Ink suddenly throws up…well, ink?

Gaster-Sans is suddenly by my side again and looking at the black ink on the void…floor? Critically. He seems very unsure yet intrigued by this whole ordeal. I’m just seriously confused.

 _“Oh, sorry about that! Happens all the time!”_ Ink says; not even put off by it one bit. _“Now…what was I saying?”_ He asks, scratching his chin as he tries to think.

 _‘Holy crap…he’s adorable.’_ I think, just kind of stunned. Sure, I’m happy the fighting stopped and all but…I’m standing next to an adorable puppy of a skeleton and a seriously attractive skeleton. And I feel very guilty about thinking all of that. _‘What fresh hell is this?’_

“Ahem.” Gaster-Sans, now standing straight, looming over both me and Ink, tries to get our attention. But instead of saying anything, he finally gets that cigarette I’m sure he’s been itching for since all this began and puts in his mouth, takes a long inhale of it, then lets it out. That’s when he decides to speak. “As much as I’m enjoying this…” He rolls his hand then stops and just pauses. When he can’t think of anything he shakes his head. “Whatever the hell this is, I’m still waiting for that explanation.”

I open my mouth, happy to finally tell my side of the story, but instead Ink stops me by raising his hand enthusiastically.

 _“Oh! Oh! Let me!”_ He says, smiling, his eyes like twinkling stars. Quickly he goes on, not really giving me time to say anything. I just pout. _“So, you see.”_ Ink hops over to me and puts his skeletal hands on my shoulders. He makes sure they don’t go through. _“She got written into the code of the universe, see! Creating another AU to add to our multi-verses as a whole! I like to call it Player’s Tale! Since the thing that brought her here refers to her as a PLAYER! She ended up on a different side of this void first, inside one of the universes that’s like the original! The thing that dragged her to our reality wants her soul! And it’ll get it if she doesn’t finish the challenge it issued her, or if she dies, or if it steals it! The Gaster on her side shoved her through a Gray Door that led to your void! Error sensed her and came here looking to destroy her...I guess? He’s a bit finicky when it comes to what he actually does to the AU characters he finds. Don’t let that scary act fool you, if you get to know him he can be pretty nice! He’s just had a really hard time, that’s all!”_ Ink beams, and I’m kind of worried for mine and Gaster-Sans’ sanity right now. The little guy literally just spurted out a ton of info in like two seconds.

On another note: _‘I HAVE TO FINISH THE CHALLENGE OR THAT THING WILL TAKE MY SOUL? Not only that it doesn’t follow any rules! No saves, no revives, if I die that’s it? And it can just steal my soul willy-nilly? How is that fair!? There’s no way I can complete the challenge under those conditions!’_

“Hmmm.” Gaster-Sans hums and I turn my attention back to him instead of Ink. Gaster-Sans nods then, like everything Ink just said made perfect sense. “Gotcha.”

I blanch. _‘That’s it?! All that craziness Ink just said and you got it? The hell?! Don’t be so casual about this!’_

 _“Gosh, you don’t have to be so worried! I said I had your back remember!”_ Ink pulls me into an embrace after he says that so sincerely. The hug is warm and nice, but I could still barely feel it since only part of me was here. I don’t let that retract from the comfort those words and his touch brings me though.

Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder, when I look up Gaster-Sans is kneeling in front of me, a smirk on his face. “I’ll give you a hand too kiddo. Sounds like you got yourself in a mess. I might as well help, right?” Gaster-Sans shrugs and gives me a genuine _‘I’ve got your back too’_ look.

Something dark grasps me then. Something I was very familiar with. _‘I don’t deserve their help, I don’t deserve their kindness. Why do they want to help me? I’ve done nothing but get them in trouble!’_ Doubt. Anxiety. Things that liked to eat at me so much. But I don’t have time to let it consume me, before Ink interrupts.

 _“Oh!”_ Ink lets go of me and spins me around, Gaster-Sans hand disappearing shortly before. _“I’m so silly! I almost forgot!”_ Ink pulls out his huge paint brush now and looks at me _. “I need to give you back your body!”_ This sentence fills me with so much happiness I nearly can’t stand it. _“Just think about something you like to wear, okay?”_ Ink smiles cheerfully, I nod, and he excitedly starts to paint over the gray lines that are my body.

I think about what I usually wear; my black cap, my black framed glasses, my blue jeans, and my black button up shirt. This is what I usually wear in my office when I work, except the cap; I only wear that when I go out, to cover up my bed head. After I have my outfit in mind I watch as Ink’s paint fills in the colors and the parts of me that were missing. It looked amazing, and when he was done I patted myself down and found I could feel everything clearly again, I was a hundred percent solid!

I couldn’t stop smiling I was so happy.

 _“Hmmm.”_ Ink hums now and I feel worried for a moment. _“Your soul was so colorful, but now you have barely any color!”_ He whines, then snaps his fingers and looks like he has an idea. _“Hold still please!”_ He asks politely then raises his paintbrush to the spot where you could once see my soul. There, on my shirt, he paints a rainbow colored heart that almost matches what my soul had looked like, but it wasn’t on fire. _“There! Much better!”_ He says happily.

Ink then looks over at Gaster-Sans, searching for approval or agreement. _“What do you think G?”_

Gaster-Sans seems to ignore the nickname and gives another thumbs up. “Looks good.”

This makes Ink beam with glee.

 _‘Damn you two and your adorableness!’_ I think, clenching my fists and enjoying being able to feel again.


	4. What makes you so determined?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (AKA that one chapter full of fluff after the angst) I'd like to thank everyone leaving kudos! It means a lot to me! Special shout out to Sarah who left an awesome comment for me! Thank you so much! I really hope this fic turns out to be as good as what you were expecting!

**Chapter 3: “What makes you so determined?”**

The whiteness of the Void; it was jarring and unsettling. It almost felt like I was becoming consumed by the never ending nothing that was this space. A Void by definition is a completely empty space.  Here the Void is the empty space between each universe; like the protective casing around a precious package. Theoretically, no one and nothing should exist within in the Void. But Gaster, it seems, no matter what universe, he can travel into this space. For now, I’m thankful for that, but how long until that will become a liability instead of an asset? Right now, the rules of this game I’ve gotten myself into, keep me chained and helpless.

Is it any wonder, the irony that in the card game of Bridge; a Void is when a player is dealt no cards?

“Hey, kid! Earth to kiddo! Your train is leaving the station! All aboard!”

Gaster-Sans snark filled voice awoke me from my heavy thoughts. It almost seemed like the Void itself had me mesmerized.  Turning back to the mixed monster, I saw he was enjoying a new cigarette, and was giving me a look.

“You and Painter Boy over there.” Gaster-Sans points his thumb towards Ink, whose far behind him. “Seems like your gett’n awful nervous in here. Maybe we should move this party?” 

I lean side ways to see Ink, who apparently can’t stand the whiteness around us either. He’s been trying to paint the walls and floors of the Void. Babbling to himself as he does. But since there are no walls or floors here, his paint isn’t sticking to anything, driving him just that much crazier.

“Yikes.” I whisper, seeing the poor guy losing his mind over there. I stand up straight again and nod to Gaster-Sans. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Gaster-Sans coolly nods back to me and snaps his fingers. A Gray Door appears and he signals me to follow him. He even calls Ink over to follow us if he likes. I imagine he says that since he knew Ink can make his own exit if he wanted.

When Gaster-Sans opens the door light hits my face and I hiss. It hurts my eyes, and it’s not even that bright to be honest. Makes me wonder how we could see in the Void when there was no light to begin with. But that questions fades from my mind when I find myself in Snowdin, the sight of it warms my heart and makes me smile.

 _“Now that’s more like it!”_ Ink shouts, suddenly he grabs hold of my shoulders, spins me, hugs me, then runs off to play in the snow before I can even blink. _“COLOR!”_ He nearly screams as he jumps into a pile of snow.

“Jesus, kid needs to drink decaf.” Gaster-Sans says, standing just a foot ahead of me. He blows smoke into the air, and it makes a heart shape. I laugh at this and he turns to wink at me, making me reflexively look away. This makes him chuckle.  “Why don’t you _chill_ out, Wild. I thought you were a _cool_ kid.”

I look back at him, pouting, and not blushing damn it!

“Well,” I’m still pouting, but I swallow my embarrassment. “You’re the cool one, and by definition that makes me the hot one!” I retaliate, and only moments later, when Gaster-Sans is laughing, do I realize what I’ve said and bite my tongue.

“Cute, real cute kid.” Gaster-Sans says then huffs and starts walking off.

I cross my arms and frustratedly follow. Feeling a bit ashamed I said something so stupid. Trying to impress Gaster-Sans was probably a stupid idea. Me trying to impress anyone was a stupid idea. I couldn’t be cool if I tried.

“So,” I try to start a conversation that I know is going to be an awkward one. At this point we’re passing Grillby’s. Monsters are up and about here and there. I know it won’t be but a minute before we step up to the taller skeleton’s door. Getting this out of the way now would be for the best. “Your Gaster and Sans put together….r-right?”

Gaster-Sans stops dead in his tracks. Suddenly, I could feel a tension in there air. Not as thick as before but it was there. The taller monster looks back at me, his eye sockets devoid of pupils. I gulp.

“Gaster must have been separate in the universe you come from then, uh kiddo?” He asks, almost devoid of emotion. This sets me on edge.

“Yeah.” I reply simply.

“You must have…. a lot of questions then.” Gaster-Sans says this with hurt in his voice, and he looks away from me now.

 _‘Is…is he ashamed of what he is? Is he afraid of what I might think of him?’_ I tilt my head in thought, worried about the monster now. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, or make him uncomfortable. I just knew there were things that needed to be addressed now, so that I didn’t accidentally slip later and know something I shouldn’t.

I shake my head then. “N-no! I mean, info about that’s personal, right?” I smile at him shyly, trying to lift the mood. “I….I just really wanted to know what to call you by!” I try to reassure him, I don’t think I do a good job of it, but at least his white pupils come back.

 _“Ga-…”_ His left eye flashes purple quickly, and then turns blue for a moment. “sans!” He takes a deep breath, suddenly seeming like he was going through an inner conflict. “you can call me sans, kiddo.” While his eye was still blue he sounded like just Sans, it was similar to earlier when his eye was purple and he sounded just like Gaster. But now his eyes are white again. “Papyrus, he doesn’t remember Gaster and to him I look normal like this; as Sans. So, yeah. Just call me Sans.” Gaster-Sans explains, still kind of sweating, but he seems to ignore his state and starts walking towards his house again.

_“Or you could call him G!”_

“Woah!” Ink makes me jump as he appears behind me. He gives me a big grin then, one of his eyes blue and the star one purple. _‘Was he doing that on purpose?’_ I wondered, seeing as that’s what Gaster-Sans’ eyes were doing earlier. “Wait,” His statement finally hits me. “Why G?”

 _“Because Gaster is Sans’ and Wing Dings’ last name, silly!”_ He says, walking backwards in front of me, just smiling away.

“Oh.” I hadn’t known that, but it did make sense. Looking up, I look at the back of Gaster-Sans’ head as we walk. “Is that okay with you?”

The taller skeleton looks back at me, over his shoulder, and shrugs.

That made me feel like I shouldn’t call him that, he did ask me to call him Sans after all. But I could at least call him that when Papyrus wasn’t around. It’d be okay then, right?

I was so deep in anxiety filled thought that I hadn’t noticed Ink had stopped. So I ended up walking right into him. He ended up falling over and then he knocked into G, who almost fell over too if it hadn’t been for his magic keeping him up. We all nearly fell over right at G’s doorstep. Instead it was just me on top of Ink.

I thought at first he’d be angry at me, but when I looked into his face he just smiled and laughed. I felt too anxious to laugh. Instead I jumped up like I was on fire and offered him an apologetic hand. He took it; I helped him up, and he smiled at me so warmly.

 _“You okay_?” Ink asks, looking all over me to make sure I hadn’t gotten hurt. His kindness made me blush, I wasn’t used to people being so nice to me. It was almost too much.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Sorry, about knocking you over.” I say quickly, looking everywhere but at him.

The short skeleton just shrugged. _“No big deal!”_

“Ahem!” G made a coughing noise, obviously trying to get our attention. When we both look back at him he points to the now unlocked door. “We should probably move this inside, before people start asking questions.” He states.

Ink nods enthusiastically. _“Yeah!”_ The shorter skeleton then runs inside happily, the taller one follows close behind him cautiously.

“You put one iota of paint on those walls, Painter Boy, and your gonna have a bad time!”

_“But G, these walls need some love!”_

I can hear their voices inside, both of them shouting. It makes me lightly laugh. But I can’t help but look at the house as a whole. So familiar, yet so foreign; Sans and Papyrus’ house. Every time I think I’ve admitted to this being real I find myself being surprised when I don’t wake up _. ‘I’ve dreamt about this house so many times.’_ I think, and then my heart clenches and for some reason I feel overwhelming fear. _‘What have I gotten myself into?’_

* * *

 

Inside looks exactly like it does in the game, and like it did in my dreams. But instead of it being empty there is a tall and short skeleton arguing in the living room. Just as it should be, I suppose.

G and Ink aren’t really arguing per say. It’s more of G telling Ink not to do something and Ink pouting about it. Apparently the artist in Ink thinks the house could use a new coat of paint. G disagrees. When its clear G isn’t changing his mind, Ink just goes to pout on the couch, holding his paintbrush close to him as if it were a pillow.

There’s something about this place that makes me feel better. The stress that had been mounting in me, the tenseness in my muscles, seems to dissipate and I relax. I take a deep breath and feel that warmth that had come from my soul before, but it wasn’t intense now, just relaxing and soothing.

Looking around I see the kitchen directly in front of me. The high sink is still there, and to my left there’s still a table with the pet rock covered in sprinkles. In the living room there’s still the couch and TV, a floor above there’s still two doors and the bone art in the middle. Here, in this world, the house was bigger with more space than it had in the game. But other than that it was the same.

I take a deep breath, relieved the house didn’t have a cigarette smoke smell to it. In fact it smelled like….ketchup and pasta sauce? I chuckle under my breath. Why was I not surprised?

“Hey.” G is standing next to me now, looking at me with interest. “You look beat kid.”

Until he had said something, I hadn’t noticed how tired I was. But I was definitely exhausted. Now that I wasn’t in imminent danger anymore, sleep sounded heavenly. I nod to G and he smirks.

“Thought so, come on.” He waves to me, signaling me to follow him. I do, and even the sulking Ink follows closely in my footsteps. I’m surprised when G walks to the second door upstairs. Even more surprised when the door is opened and it looks nothing like it did in the game. Inside its clean, organized. There’s a dresser and file cabinet against the walls, along with a closed closet at the back, and a king sized bed with gray sheets to my left. The only thing not clean about the room is the untidy bed. “You can have my room tonight.” G announces, making his offer clear.

 _“But G, we got a lot of planning to do!”_ Ink whines, throwing up his hands. _“Wild’s gotta talk to Reaper-Sans! And….and she’s gotta get back to her universe and finish the game she started and-”_ Ink gets cut off half way through his tirade by G holding up his hand.

“All of that can wait until tomorrow; can’t you tell this human’s exhausted?” G says, in almost a fatherly way. It would have been fatherly, if there wasn’t an edge of snark to his words. I glare back at the tall skeleton and he just shrugs.

Suddenly I feel Ink spin me around, inches away from my face; he looks me up and down critically. And then hums. _“Okay, I guess you can’t really do much tired. I understand it’s important to get your rest, and you have been through a lot today.”_ Ink says with sympathy in his voice as he nods. Then, very abruptly, he opens his eyes wide, both pupils turn into yellow stars that sparkle. _“Does this mean-”_

**-Blarg-**

“Damn it, Painter Boy, your cleaning that up!”

 _“Does that mean were having a sleep over?!”_ Ink shouts excitedly, speaking a hundred words a second again, ink dripping from his chin, his eyes still sparkling in excitement. _“Oh boy, oh boy! I’ve never been to a sleep over before! Well, I’ve never been invited to anything before. But can we have PJs and popcorn, maybe even-”_ He gasps mid-sentence, and his eyes begin to shine even brighter. _“Paint each other’s nails?”_ Ink asks in a really high pitched voice.

I looked on at the overly excited monster in terror, when I looked back to G for help; he had the same expression on his face. With only my eyes I tried to convey how much I needed assistance, the tiny cheerful skeleton had started gripping my shoulders awful hard whenever he began to talk about sleepovers. It was starting to hurt.

G sighed heavily, rubbing the cracks in his skull. “Okay, for one thing kiddo, this ain’t a sleepover. If anything it’s uh…. _tactical-retreat-over_.  Got it? That means no PJ’s, no popcorn, and shit kid we don’t even have nails!” G said, exasperated, glaring at the other form of half himself in irritation.

Hearing this Ink’s form began to sulk, the light leaving his eyes. _“Okay.”_ He replied sadly, looking like a kicked puppy.

His hands leave my shoulders and while I’m grateful the crushing force on me is gone, I feel super guilty for being a part of the reason Ink is so sad. But before I can open my mouth to try and cheer Ink up, I hear G sigh again.

“But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some sort of…. _’sleepover’_ after all this is settled.” G says, looking to his left with his arms crossed. I could only imagine he was trying to keep up his tough guy act. I smiled up at him knowingly and laughed silently, only he could see me, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “I’m sure Paps would enjoy it.” G added, now ignoring my stare.

I hear Ink gasp in surprise and I turn my head to look at him. The stars in his eyes are shining so bright now that they nearly blind me. He just looks so damn happy, and I know why. Ink is used to being alone, used to being all alone in his Void, only showing up to help AUs periodically, but never really welcome to stay. I can only imagine how lonely him and Error both get, but they handle it in very different ways. Ink being welcome to do something with someone though, for fun and not anything else, it must be one of the first times he’s ever been invited to something like that. No wonder he’s so happy. He….he just wants to come home.

 _“Really?!”_ Ink asks, so surprised and so hopeful.

“Yeah shrimp, I’m sure Paps will love ‘ya.” G says with a chuckle.

 _“Human!?”_ Ink is suddenly in my face again, and I struggle to hide my tears. _“Are you crying?”_

“No!” I blurt loudly, pulling down my hat to cover my face. I couldn’t stop myself from tearing up when I thought about Ink finding a home. _‘Damn it, I didn’t use to tear up so easily! I’m such a stupid softy now!’_ I groan at myself and ignore Ink shaking me and asking me worried questions.

All of a sudden though, my hat was yanked out of my hands, and when I looked up, G was looming over me closely. I could feel another blush coming on. The only thing I could do was blink.

“I think I’ll take this for the night.” G winks at me and puts my hat on. “You don’t really need it, do ya kid?”

I stick out my tongue at the tall skeleton and he chuckles. It was clear, G and I could already read each other like books. And we knew exactly what buttons to push. This all felt so familiar and….nice. My soul kept warming up in such a soothing way, it made me feel so calm; calmer than I’d ever felt almost. And seeing G wearing my black cap, made me smile.

“I think…” G takes a deep calm breath, starting to look tired himself. “That it’s time for bed.”

I look back at Ink and he looks concerned but he lets go of me and shrugs. With that I head into the bedroom, hoping to crash onto the king sized bed. Briefly I hear G and Ink arguing again. When I look back I see G tugging on Ink’s scarf, trying to pull the shorter skeleton out of the bedroom.

_“But I want to sleep in here with Wild!”_

“Sorry sport, chick’s get their own rooms. Your sleep’n on the couch with me, bud.”

I can’t help but laugh at the sight, and when I finally lie down for the night, tucked into gray sheets; I don’t feel an overwhelming urge to check every nook and cranny of the house and make sure the doors are locked. I feel safe. And for the first time in years I fall asleep easily without the aid of any drugs.

* * *

 

_You were back in the Judgement Hall again. But this time it was different. You were fighting._

_‘Fighting what?’_

_It towered above you; the creature from before. Black ooze dripped from it, but instead of it just being an arm it was a whole body of goo. Slimy, it was huge, as tall as each pillar, and it was standing on its arms instead of its legs. Well, it didn’t have legs, just a long sharp spine like tail. It had seven eyes in its face area, instead of any other facial features.  With its talon like claws on its fingers, it swiped at you. But with ease you dodge it, jumping up in the air like a cat._

_You back flipped in the air and landed on your hands, then did a summersault to land on your feet. You hear a growl escape your lips, but you didn’t do it. Matter of fact, you have no control over your body. But that doesn’t scare you, instead you feel safe. Something is inside you, keeping you warm, making you strong._

**“Nunc hoc ludum cessat! Ludius nobis est anima tua!”**

_“Sorry, I don’t speak Latin, ugly!” You yell, pulling something out from nowhere. You can almost see it form from thin air. Magic of all colors come together to form the sword in your hand. “No more Resets big guy, your mine now!” The sword feels right in your grip, warm, alive, yours. You grip it with all your might and run forward._

_The creature attacks again, but when it swipes with its talons your sword slides through the goo, cutting into it and the hand in half. Black ooze seems to fizzle in the air then disappear from sight. With a blood curdling noise the creature screeches._

_Swiftly, its spinal tail comes down from above you. On your feet you move to dodge it, but this appendage is faster than the hands. It comes at you quickly, so instead of dodging you jump. Landing on your feet, the tail comes at you again, so you jump as before. This happens several times until another taloned hand comes down. This time you have to jump backward, landing against a pillar. It hurts your back, but you don’t have time to indulge in the pain._

_Another black hand comes after you, but instead it hits the pillar, destroying it. You move to avoid the falling debris. But while you’re distracted the tail comes after you again, reaching even farther this time. It’s too fast; you can’t dodge it and the pieces of pillar falling down around you._

_So instead of trying to jump, you turn your sword into a shield just by concentrating on the thought. The silver sword transforms into a familiar green shield then, and you hold it in front of you. It protects you from the tail’s sharp end, but the force pushes you back and sends you flying at an uncontrollable speed. You end up in the wall across the room, your back throbbing in pain. But adrenaline still courses through you, numbing the feeling._

_Pushing yourself up you run back towards the creature, shield in front of you. It attacks with its tail again and this time you’re prepared to steady yourself. Putting your feet into the ground, even when your shield gets hit by the tail you stay standing. Quickly, you make the shield transform back into your sword, while the tail’s still in front of you, you slash it. The creature screeches again and the piece you cut off of the tail fizzles away._

_You take the time to turn your sword into a yellow blaster while the creature is stunned. Using the blaster, you hit one of its eyes using a blast of yellow magic. This time the creature screeches so loudly it makes the room shake and your ears bleed. Tentacles pop out from its shoulders, black masses of slime that swiftly reach towards you._

_“Shit! Tentacles! Seriously!?” You yell as you jump back to dodge each writhing mass. There are four of them, but they’re not as fast as the tail. You have to learn the rhythm that they use to reach for you, but jumping away and sliding in a zig zag like pattern seems to keep them off you. “Try this on for size!” You yell, making the sword appear again, you place two different colored flames along the blade and stab one of the tentacles with it._

_The fire catches, almost as if the tentacle was made of something extremely flammable. When the creature screeches this time you have your hands to your head and you grin from ear to ear. Feelings pf victory are short lived though, as when you go to stab the other tentacles they recede._

**“Satis! Si histriones non uicerunt ergo nec tu!”**

_You shrug, not caring what the creature had to say. “How many times I gotta tell you I don’t know Latin!” You shout cockily. You’re smiling so wide, you know your winning, you’d gotten so many hits on this thing and you only had some minor bruising to deal with. In the moment you know you’re bound to win is when you feel something pierce you. You don’t have time to scream, and all you feel is blood dripping down your body._

_Shakily, you look down and see a red glowing knife sticking out of you. Things are starting to grow fuzzy, and you can’t see anymore. But you hear a name escape your lips in a whisper. “Chara?”_

* * *

I jolt awake, cold sweat running down my body, my breathing heavy and uneven. My hearts pounding and I feel an echo of the bruising on my back from the dream. It had felt so vivid, so real, I could almost feel my heart being stabbed. I want to crumble into myself, but when I try to go into a fetal position I feel familiar hands on me.

I jump, still scared, still high strung. But when I look back I feel tears prick my eyes.

G was there, sitting to my left, and Ink to my right. G ruffled my hair and Ink got up and hugged me from behind, holding me tightly.

“It’s okay kiddo, it was just a dream. Your safe, we’re not gonna let anything hurt ya.” G reassures me, ruffling my hair so gently with his hand. He gives me a gentle smile, one that means what he says, one that knows what it’s like to wake up from terrible nightmares.

 _“I promise; I won’t let anybody hurt you! I-I know I haven’t known you very long. But your soul is so nice and warm and beautiful! And that’s you, we know that, and it’s not fair you’ve gotten pulled into all this. So the least we can do is help you! And…and we’ll get to help a lot of other people too, if we work together!”_ Ink says, holding me so closely and so carefully. I could only imagine that this is how he’d hold my soul if he’d ever touch it; with such passionate and gentle hands.

I’m crying hard now, but not sobbing. I was well versed in the way of silent crying. But these weren’t tears of despair; these were tears of gladness and appreciation. So many nightmares I’d faced alone, yet when I woke up this night there was someone there, to tell me it was just a dream and that I was okay. It was such a small yet amazing thing.

“Th-thank you-o.” I said, with every bit of sincerity I could muster; the words coming from my heart, my soul.

Hearing this, G suddenly inched closer and was hugging my other side now, I felt like a sandwich. But it was so warm and caring, it felt right. It felt like home. No matter how corny or over used that word was, to me it was the best way to describe that feeling.

All of a sudden I felt a rush of warmth from my soul, but this time it was red, hot, boiling. It was **determination**. A determination to fight for this; to fight for home!


End file.
